Kiwi authors discuss Frankfurt Book Fair

Today a new video has been published of a variety of New Zealand writers talking about their experiences over the four days of the recent Frankfurt Book Fair, where New Zealand was Guest of Honour.

Although New Zealand had less time than usual to prepare for its Guest of Honour status at the world's biggest book fair, from all accounts the organisers pulled of a tremendous event - breaking all sorts of Book Fair records when it came to popularity and attendance. It was great to see such positivity about the diverse range of New Zealand books and writers showcased - including, of course, some of our many terrific crime writers.

You can watch the short video above, which includes the likes of internationally acclaimed Kiwi writers such as Paul Cleave, Witi Ihimaera (writer of The Whale Rider), CK Stead, Paula Morris, Eleanor Catton, Joy Cowley, Alan Duff (writer of Once Were Warriors), and more. It also gives you an inside look at the impressive and unique New Zealand pavilion, which really captured audience imagination like no other that had gone before. Like many, I was a little critical before the Book Fair about what was planned - in my case I wanted to see more of our crime writers there, given German readers' penchant for the genre - but clearly the organisers did a superb job, and to use a sporting parlance, hit it out of the park.